You’re probably thinking: “Big deal, it’s the middle of
summer and thunderstorms happen.” But if you’ve been a consistent reader (or
are just in to Andean weather patterns), you might remember that now is our dry
season and you’re thinking: “how weird that it should be raining right now in
the Andes!” And folks, that’s exactly what I thought as I watched the rain come
across the mountain to fall in buckets on our heads at the end of June. Luckily
we were inside at the town’s budget meeting for next year but the rain came in
a fury (like it knew that it hadn’t had its chance in a while and wouldn’t have
its moment again until October) and brought the cold with it. Not only that,
but the electricity went out just a few minutes before the surprising downpour and
so we were returned to earlier times as we wrapped up our discussion on what to
do with the budget in 2013.
Now. The telling of that story is interesting sure. because
who doesn’t like to hear about unseasonal weather? But the title of this post
refers to the rain of visitors I have had in Peru in the last couple of months
and the outpouring of love I have felt by their willingness to come this far to
see me and that I felt in their presence as they were/are here.
If you remember, my last post was about my parents’ visit for
two weeks to this incredibly diverse country. To be honest, they were the only
people I expected to make it down here to visit because at the time of their
visit, I had been here for 20 months and hadn’t had a visitor yet. So I was incredibly
surprised when, during my parents’ visit, I received an e-mail from my Grandma
informing me that she and Grandpa would be arriving in Lima on June 12, just
two weeks after my parents were to leave.
I was thrilled to host my grandparents in Peru’s capital
city and impressed that they had chosen Peru as their first adventure traveling
outside of the United States. Together we spent about one week in and around
Lima and although they were unable to visit my site (due to the altitude), they
were able to visit what I referred to as “real Peru” outside of the Lima’s city
limits just to the south. They were struck by the amount of traffic on Lima’s
roads, how difficult it was for them to be in a place where they did not speak
the language and by the impoverished looking houses so near to the wealthy ones
of the city. In Lima, we visited the Parque del Amor, the ruins of Huaca
Pucllana, the Parque del Agua (picture!), the Plaza de Armas, the San Francisco
Monestary and its catacombs, an Adventist church and walked a lot on the water
front. In fact, I think I walked them out.
It was a real treat having them visit and spending some time
relaxing in Lima with them. I enjoyed showing them around a place that had
become my new home and seeing how they reacted to the differences and reminding
me of just how different life is here from that in the US. And then, wouldn’t
you know it, as I skyped with Mom on Father’s Day morning, my brother, Joe,
came in to the conversation with the surprise of “what if we came the first
week of July?” I couldn’t believe it. More visitors?!
Brother Joe and his wife, Carrie, arrived to
Lima the night of July 2. We spent their first day in Lima visiting most of the
main site-seeing places. The day started off with a nice run (super cool to
share my newfound joy of jogging with the super-active couple) along the water
front. Later we walked the same route so they could take lots of pictures. We
visited the center of the city where the plaza, the colonial buildings and the
catacombs are. We found a new place for me near the monastery, the Parque de la
Muralla, where one could see the remains of the wall that enclosed the old colonial
city. At the restaurant in the park, we ate ceviche before heading out to try
to visit the Parque de las Aguas. Unfortunately, it wasn’t open but at least we
tried. That night, we went for sushi with other volunteers who happened to be
in Lima and although I don’t think they felt they had much to input to the
conversations, I think they enjoyed listening to the crazy stories of the
volunteers as we checked in with each other.
The next day was July 4th. Instead of setting off
fireworks, we traveled from Lima up to Laraos. We figured they could handle the
altitude and would enjoy seeing where I lived. It took us a while to get there
and arrived just as the last light was leaving. We were all glad for the
journey to be over because, as they found out, although beautiful, it can be a
little rough. We spent one full day in Laraos where we mainly walked around and
I told them about what we were seeing. I would have liked to take them to the
school to visit the kids but there were no classes because all of the teachers
were celebrating National Teacher’s Day in the town over. I got them to take a
little hike up my favorite canyon to visit a nice babbling brook and waterfall.
I think they enjoyed seeing the reality of life in Laraos
but were glad that it wasn’t their home. The altitude and the hills took their
toll on the visitors so that after two freezing nights in the campo, they were
ready to move on to see other places. For me, their visit was over too quickly;
we weren’t even together one week before I had to say goodbye to them in the
Huancayo bus station. I was glad to be able to share my life with them in
Laraos and although I worried it had been a little rough on them, they assured
me that they had a great time.
After I waved goodbye to Joe and Carrie (they were off to
Machu Picchu to finish out their trip), I checked in to a hotel in Huancayo to
await the arrival of my next visitor – Liz!
She rolled in to Huancayo early in the morning after about
15 hours of travel and then the two of us climbed in to the car to Laraos. And
as I sit here writing out this blog, she is taking a nap, exhausted from her
last day in Lima. I couldn’t be more thrilled to have her here visiting. The
best part is that instead of going touring around Peru together, I got to play
host to a visitor in Laraos for a whole week. I think it turned out to be the
most “Peace Corps” experience a visitor could have because she spent longer
than two days in my site at a time when there wasn’t a huge party going on and
accompanied me to my classes and meetings. In Huancayo, we met up with other
volunteers and now in Lima, we are finally able to get some actual tourist
activity done. I had been worried that spending the week in Laraos would bore
the good friend I had come to know in the bustling city of Charleston but she
assured me that the quiet campo life was exactly what she was looking for.
And now that we have left the campo for the big city, she is
getting to see more of what Peru has to offer. I am most glad that she has
gotten the opportunity to see the Inquisition Museum in the center of Lima. My
other visitors have missed out on what my boss has described as a classic.
Though it is not the biggest museum, it still holds some interesting bits of
history on an often overlooked period in Peru’s timeline. But I had a feeling
that my college roommate would enjoy it because the Inquisition just happens to
be her study area of interest and (I am proud to say) what she will be studying
further in her graduate school this fall. We took in other areas of the city
center and have met up with some other volunteers. I think that Peru has worn
her out but I am certain that she has enjoyed her visit. Though I would argue
that I enjoyed her visit much more.
So tomorrow, she heads home and then I am pretty sure that
my downpour of visitors will end as quickly as it came on. Playing tour guide
to each of the groups that have visited has further enriched my Peace Corps
experience and I hope that touring Peru has enriched their own lives. It has
been such a joy to see my loved ones here in what has become my home. I still
cannot believe the outpouring of love I have felt by my visitors’ courage in
coming to visit (in South America for the first time and even out of the United
States for the first time) and their spirits of adventure in wanting to
experience what I have experienced for the last two years.
Like I said, I don’t expect to have any more visitors for
the rest of my service. But if you didn’t make it, don’t feel bad. I will be back
and ready to visit every one of you soon enough. Until then, it is back to
Laraos and back to work. Because I realize, my time here is quickly
disappearing.
Blessings.
